Thursday, January 31

Students wrote essays in the voice of Huck Finn, in which Huck declares whether he is or is not a Transcendentalist, and whether or not he agrees with Emerson and Thoreau (and why), quoting from those gentlemen, whose works he has been perusing.

See "Transcendental Huck.pdf" in Documents for the assignment sheet.

Wednesday, January 30

We watched one half hour of the PBS documentary on Mark Twain, presenting Twain's encounter with race and the writing of Huckleberry Finn.

Tuesday, January 29

Students took the third and final Huck Finn quiz.

Friday, January 25

Students finished presenting their final projects on Huckleberry Finn.

Quiz Monday over all of Huck Finn to begin the second semester.

Thursday, January 24

We continued with student presentations of final projects.
Tomorrow is the final day of the semester and the final day to present projects.

The final quiz over Huckleberry Finn, covering all of the book, will be on Monday.

Wednesday, January 23

Students began presenting their final projects.

It became apparent that two days would not be sufficient, especially given that fewer than half the students in some sections were unprepared to present today.

Mr. Potratz therefore kindly announced that:
(1) Students who were prepared to present today will receive some extra credit (amount TBD).
(2) Students who are prepared to present tomorrow (Thursday) will receive full credit.
(3) Students who are not prepared to present tomorrow will lose credit.
(4) The final Huck Finn quiz will be postponed from this Friday to next Monday, Jan. 28.

Tuesday, January 22

First we reviewed the requirements for the final projects one last time.
Presentations will take place Wednesday and Thursday, but all projects are due Wednesday, and you will not know till then who will present which day.

Then we discussed the ending of the book (with reading from Chapter 33 in most sections), and whether Huck does change or learn anything in the coourse of the novel.

Friday, January 18

Final presentations postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Mr. Potratz read "The War Prayer" by Mark Twain, written in 1905 but unpublished until 1923, long after Twain's death.

Thursday, January 17

Handouts: (1) elaboration of requirements for the Summary Statement, and (2) a map of Huck and Jim's journey

Mr. Potratz announced that the final Huck Finn quiz, scheduled for Friday, is postponed until NEXT Friday, Jan. 25.

We reviewed requirements for the final project and then wrote a sample quotation and comment together in class.

Wednesday, January 16

Shortened day; substitute.

Students worked on quotations and commentary.

Tuesday, January 15

Mr. Potratz reviewed requirements for the final project (20 quotations per students, comments each at least 40 words, presentation to the class, due next Tuesday, etc.).

Students worked on their quotations and commentary.

Monday, January 14

Mr. Potratz read from Chapter 21 (Colonel Sherburn's speech) and Chapter 31 (You Can't Pray a Lie) of Huckleberry Finn.

HW due Tuesday: Read Chapters 30-34.

Friday, January 11

Students took the second Huckleberry Finn quiz, covering Chapters 17-25, and we graded it in class.

HW due Monday: read Chapters 26-29, and work on the final project, which requires among other components twenty quotations, each with a commentary of at least forty words.

HW due Tuesday, January 22: Final project

Thursday, January 10

Mr. Potratz read aloud from Chapters 17, 18, and 19 of Huckleberry Finn.

Quiz Friday over Chapters 17-25. Students will be given short sections from the novel and asked to identify (1) who is speaking, (2) to whom, and (3) what is going on in the novel at the time.


Wednesday, January 9

Reading from Chapters 16 and 17.
Review of irony -- verbal and dramatic -- in relation to Twain's narrative technique in Huckleberry Finn, with specific reference to Chapter 17.


Tuesday, January 8

Mr. Potratz returned students' slavery essays and students spent the weather-shortened period making corrections in them as per Mr. Potratz's comments.

Monday, January 7

Students took a quiz over Chapters 1-16 of Huckleberry Finn, and we graded them in class.

Mr. Potratz showed students sample map projects from last year.

We looked at Chapter 15, where Huck humbles himself and apologizes to Jim for trying to make a fool of him.

Friday, January 4

We watched the first half-hour of a PBS documentary on Mark Twain.

Quiz Monday over the first sixteen chapters of Huckleberry Finn.
I will provide several quotations from the novel; students will provide the details of who is speaking & to whom and what is going on in the book at the time.

Thursday, January 3

Students wrote down significant details (CD's) from Chapters 10, 11, 12 and 13.

We discussed Huck and Jim's developing relationship in Chapters 9 & 10, looked back at Pap and his "reformation" in Chapter 5, and read several other passages from the novel.

Handout: Huck Finn Map Project assignment sheet
Due at time of final exam

2nd handout: form to record quotations and commentary for the map project.

HW due Friday: Read Chaps. 14, 15, 1nd 16 in Huck Finn.

Quiz Monday over Chapters 1-16.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

We discussed students' impressions of Huckleberry Finn and Mr. Potratz read aloud from Chapters 7 and 8.

To begin class Thursday students will be asked to record significant details from Chapters 10, 11 , 12 & 13.